Milwaukee Mitchell Airport flight cancellations, delays Friday

At Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, travelers felt the ripple effect of the winter storm Friday – operations slowed down, and some flights were canceled or delayed, as crews worked to ensure planes could safely land and take off.

It takes crews roughly 20 minutes to clear a runway. During snow events, the airport only uses one runway to allow the crews to focus their efforts and work with air traffic controllers to time the clearing of snow between flights.

There are also ways the operation can track not just inbound planes and those on the ground, but also all the operations equipment at any given time.

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

While municipalities use things like salt to prevent snow and ice buildup, that's not the case at airports. Salt and other chemicals can be corrosive – a problem for planes. Instead, there is a lot of manual labor and massive pieces of equipment. 

"They’re working 12-hour shifts, with limited restroom breaks, but they’ve been doing a great job keeping us open today," said Harold Mester, airport spokesperson.

Flight status

Continued winter storm coverage

FOX6 Weather Extras

Meanwhile, FOX6Now.com offers a variety of extremely useful weather tools to help you navigate the stormy season. They include the following:

FOX6 Storm Center app

FOX6 News app

FOX Weather app

FOX Weather

Maps and radar

We have a host of maps and radars on the FOX6 Weather page that are updating regularly — to provide you the most accurate assessment of the weather. From a county-by-county view to the Midwest regional radar and a national view — it’s all there.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android

School and business closings

When the weather gets a little dicey, schools and businesses may shut down. Monitor the latest list of closings, cancellations, and delays reported in southeast Wisconsin.

FOX6 Weather Experts in social media